SEVENTEEN AGAIN are fucking unreal. The band started in Kalamazoo during the summer of 2012 with the initial intention of playing with Brok (who is now in Shoto, check their live set here) who was the one who originally came up with the name SEVENTEEN AGAIN...which was meant to make searching for the band a frustrating experience thanks to the likes of Zach Efron and Matthew Perry. If you like the crushing beauty of bands such as Back When, Ampere, Loma Prieta, Dolcim, Rats Into Robots and This Ship Will Sink you are going to absolutely love this band.

The 9-track, 14-minute album is akin to The Now in that I can listen to the entire thing on repeat 5 times in a row, no problem. The album is extremely fluid and the songs were recorded in such a way that each track bleeds into the next. The back-and-forth vocals help solidify the structure of the songs and aid them in becoming more memorable/catchy, but in general this is noisy/screamy hardcore with the occasional metal element.

Since you can't listen to it yet (it will be posted by May 12th, most likely) I have uploaded 3 songs and dissected the album track-by-track. Hope this helps some readers find a new favourite band...SEVENTEEN AGAIN.

Track 1 = "Between The Lines" is chaotic and screamy and heavy romp funneled into 1-minute. The last half of this track bares resemblance to Rats Into Robots/Dolcim spacey riffs before SEVENTEEN AGAIN blast into back-and-forth screaming and a solo that is strangled before each note can take hold. This really sets the tone for the rest of the album - heavy, caustic, acidic screamo laced with a dual-headed poisonous vocal attack that has got to be the band's signature, says I.

Track 2 = "Around The Edges" has a rough and gritty vibe until the 30-second mark, when a huge breakdown drops on your head with dueling vocals that exemplify the band's milieu, tying the two very different screams together in the same vocal pattern, intertwining each as they go. If your not sold by this track, you might as well stop. Pfff, fat chance of that.

Track 3 = "Trevelyn" is a disjointed and melodic wreck not unlike 'My Colours'-era Cassilis which figuratively comes apart at the seams around 0:55 and disintegrates into the next track. This song showcases the lower-end screaming/yelling/growling/whatever and this style really takes the reigns with abandon on this track.

Track 4 = "When In Rome" slides in on feedback and immediately sounds like a post-punk version of some of the newer Locktender stuff, with a scratchy melodic riff that seems awkward but fits at the same time. The vocals are more varied here than on any other song with talking, crooning, singing and wailing as well as their signature back-and-forth screaming. The guitar riff at 1 minute is an excellent hook with one of the few obviously melodic straightforward (although still ) before heading back into verse numba 2. Then feeeeeedback as we die and descend into...

Track 5 = "When In Hell", which starts with a screeching guitar, bouncy bass and some great drum work that builds the rhythm that kicks in immediately and lingers for almost a minute through Dolcim/Rats Into Robots-sounding wailing/spacey guitars territory. It's a very driving build until it's climax at around the 48-second mark when the band moves it into high gear, especially on the drums. Love the drum fills on this track.

Track 6 = "Cure Light Wounds" is one of those tracks where it seems like a million things are happening simultaneously. It's at times like this that I remember this is a group of seasoned musicians, so the attention to detail within a swirling mix of chaos shouldn't be all that surprising. This song also is peppered with sound manipulations that give it a very abrasive feel.

Track 7 = "Billy Yank" is one of the strongest tracks, which again incorporates the swirling guitars and anthemic vocals (still screaming/growling) with a massive bass riff that reverberates and helps carry the haunting lyrics of, "I'm stuck in a story, someone else's story, while mine sits aside. No, I don't want to face it," before being catapulted into tangents and fills that work extremely well as a cohesive whole. Again, this is all held together by that circling bass that seems to orbit the song and keep it all anchored down. Those drums ain't hurtin', either. Instrumentally, this is the most diverse on the album.

Track 8 = "Johnny Reb" is the closest thing to straight up hardcore/punk that the band has attempted, clocking in at less than a minute. Almost the entire first half of the song sounds like the influences were culled from late 80s hardcore and laid out in a relatively simplistic yet effective fashion. The vocal freak-out from 0:30-0:45 is awesome, as the vocals sound shrouded in emotion, whether that be excitement or anger is almost irrelevant.

Track 9 = "Soak Up The Sun" is a perfect closer and the song I posted on the omsb mix. Upon first listening to the album this was definitely my favourite, as right off the bat SEVENTEEN AGAIN pull out some of their best (and most accessible) material. This is an off-kilter, violent and engaging number that will get your attention immediately with those venomous vocals being spat directly into your ear canals, "Fading softly! No, I can't take it anymore!". Then the bouncy discordant riff/breakdown (again, with swirling bass!) jumps in before the song trails off into feedback. And thus, fini.

SEVENTEEN AGAIN's debut LP 'Invoke' is an overall uncomfortable experience that any aggressive hardcore/metallic screamo fan will relish. I was insanely lucky that Bobby of The Ghost Is Clear came to me with this. Bobby, you fucking rock almost as much as SEVENTEEN AGAIN.

There's no point in hiding the fact that VI SOM ALSKADE VARANDRA SA MYCKET (or VI SOM for the remainder of this review) is easily one of my top 10 bands going at the moment. Considering I listen to over well over 1,000 bands per year, that's saying something. What is it saying? Check these fucking guys out. you will not be disappointed.

If you are like me, you dig epic songs that change from fast to slow and are heavy as well as beautiful at the same instant (Via Fondo, anyone?). Now combine that with layered instrumentals which cumulatively build on and around each other to the point of them being so massive and engaging that you feel like the band is constructing an elaborate story with plot twists and climaxes galore.

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"Ryggarna Mot Varandra Och Vi Fortsätter Gå" is the band's latest offering that appears on the Chuck Bass split that was released earlier in April 2014 on my label Zegema Beach Records as well as Miss The Stars, Muttis Tapes, Tief In Marcellos Schuld Records and Chloromethane Recs. Their single on here is nothing but incredible. The song is an epic jaunt through post-hardcore and screamo territory and although it bares resemblance to Funeral Diner and Via Fondo, their sound is unmistakenly their own. The use of ambiance and acoustics is absolutely unbelievable and really gives "Ryggarna..." an extra layer that transforms the song into a 4-plus minute experience that truly nurtures an internal cinematic journey. Listen to this with headphones on and close your eyes and tell me I'm wrong. Seriously, this is unbelievable. This song also contains the strongest, thickest and dare I say catchiest vocals they've released thus far.

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"Du och jag och tiden" is probably my favourite VI SOM song. This thing is as epic as they come. The beginning of the song lulls you in - acoustic strumming with slow, building drums and bass an addition to a second electric guitar that plays some atmospheric melodies until the 1:23-mark in the song when it really finds its footing. The clashing drums and the 6 notes repeated by the remaining instruments as well as the anguished screams get me pumped in a fucking nanosecond. This riff is recycled with additional effects for the final minute-and-a-half which should make you want to tear down your own because...fuck...just because it's so damn good.

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"Jag bad dig dra åt helvete, men jag menade förlåt" is the song that was available on the second instalment of the Zampler series. After a spoken/screamed intro with a single guitar plucking away slowly, the song slams in full-force just before the 30-second mark and then proceeds to fluctuate wildly in and out of soft/aggressive segments dripping with ambiance.

Grab the new 7" split with Chuck Basshere. I've got 40 copies sitting in my office and it'd be a shame if people didn't check this out. No, it'd be a goddamned travesty.

That's right, I'm doing a post for a band I've already done, just to let you know about their new album. VI SOM ALSKADE VARANDRA SA MYCKET premiered their new 12"LP 'Den sorgligaste musiken i världen' today on Zegema Beach Records and Blood Of The Young Records, and I am lucky enough to bring you the first track "Leva som snö" as a youtube video, as well as a link to the pre-order and a stream of the entire, 8-track album.

The band didn't seek me out to help release this, I begged and pleaded with them as well as Nick from Blood Of The Young to let me be involved. This is a blatant promotional effort because this album deserves some serious attention from every dreamy/epic screamo fan. Right outta the gate you've got a member from the much heralded (and rightfully so) Khayembii Communique. Second, their past 3 releases have steadily gotten better. This 4th release literally is up there with albums by Funeral Diner, ...Who Calls So Loud, Sed Non Satiata, Envy, Iscariote and Godspeed, You! Black Emperor and obviously combine sounds that are very reminiscent of those bands but have put their own touch and mark on a genre (screamy punk/hardcore, I guess?) that should stand for quite some time. I've released a lot of stuff and have listened to a shit-ton of bands, so please take my honest word for it when I say this is easily one of the top 5 releases of the year and one of the best screamo albums I've ever heard.

Do yourself a favour and check out the songs on the Zegema Beach Records bandcamp page that I've just made live here.

RYE COALITION was formed from the remnants of two older bands, Merel and The Black Hollies. I was first introduced to the band during The Mars Volta's first tour for their 'Deloused In The Comatorium' LP. I had never heard of RYE COALITION and didn't check them out before the show. I love The Mars Volta, especially those first 2-3 albums, but I'd have to say that RYE COALITION put on a better show. Albeit, the sound quality for The Mars Volta was pretty shite and RYE COALITION sounded like the cd. I purchased 'On Top' and spun it incessantly over the next few months while attempting to acquire their entire back catalogue. Most of their material was amazing, especially the really old stuff that had a City Of Caterpillar vibe from time to time, in particular the last half of the band's strongest song ever written, the massive "Romancing The Italian Horn", which was released way back in 1995 - a good half-decade before the atmospheric screamo pioneers City Of Caterpillar, Welcome The Plague Year and Gospel. The other early stuff shares similarities to a lot of the Fugazi and Drive Like Jehu-inspired bands that focused on driving late 90s emo, particularly in the San Diego region. Their first split was with Maximillian Colby, so that explains a lot right there.

After the early years, which I would label as 1994-1995, they started dabbling in gritty throwback rock that hinted at bands like Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath as well as Motorhead but with more sass and a lot of songs about women and sex. The lyrics come off as pretty comical but in a way that encapsulates the satirical side of the band. This dirty sounding rock'n'roll style lasted for the band's first 2 LPs, 1996's 'Hee Saw Dhuh Kaet' and 1999's 'The Lipstick Game' and kind of came full circle with 2006's 'Curses'. These 2 albums from the late 90s don't grab me as much as their early work nor as much as what was about to follow.

I don't know what the band did from 1999-2002, but I'm guessing it involved a lot of drugs, sideburns and Jimmy Hendrix (click here for proof). When the band dropped 'On Top', they had shed almost all punk, hardcore and even a few screamo leanings and exchanged them for big, intricate 70s-sounding stadium rock with yelled/screamed/gruff vocals. This cd is the fucking tops for me. More than half of the songs are some of my favourite rock'n'roll anthems. They followed up in 2003 with 'Jersey Girls', a collection of b-sides and live stuff which is a damn fine EP. These 2 releases are my favourites, without a doubt. The riffs are insanely catchy, crunchy and complex enough that they steal the show. There's a lot of recycled rock riffs (especially 'old time' rock'n'roll) that are so generic and boring that I can't even listen to it, obviously this band is an exception, and I would probably liken their instrumentals and vocals to Tricky Woo and Clouds the most.

But then...Dave Grohl ruined RYE COALITION for me. Dave Grohl helped out with this last album, and I'm unsure if he influenced any of the change. In all honesty, probably not. Did they just ruin it themselves? There's something about 2006's 'Curses' that completely turned me off of their future material (maybe lucky for me, they didn't record anything save for an EP, which I think is just the b-sides from this). Something about the vocals rubbed me the wrong way and I expected a lot from the record and it fell seriously flat, like an aging/lazy-sounding Ozzy Osbourne...or something.

Fast forward almost 10 years and I start frequenting community sites and read the band getting ripped apart when discussing their 'On Top' years, which were my favourite. Lots of readers may only like the early material, but therein lies my point, check this out and see which RYE COALITION era you might dig. I love the first and third, but maybe you'll dig all 4.

I've included pretty much the entire discography that's listed below, save for the 'Chariots On Fire' which I'm either too lazy to find or I just assume I won't like it. Either way, if you have it and you post it here I'll add it to the disco for people to download. Here's a list of the songs I'd recommend checking out first from the releases I posted:1994-1995: "Romancing The Italian Horn", "Baby Puts Out Old Flames", "White Jesus of 114th Street", "Dover" and "Cigarette For A Drag Queen".1996-1999: "Iron Fist In Velvet Glove", "White Jesus of 114th Street", "Baby's Got A New Flame", "The Dirty Aristocrat", "The Lipstick Game" and "Digital Crucifix".2002-2003: "One Daughter Hotter Than One Thousand Suns", "Hot Strikes", "Stop Eating While I'm Smoking", "Vacations", "Born A Monkey In The Year Of The Snake", "Switchblade Sister: One Tough Nun", "Honky, Please!", "Communication Breakdown", "Speed Metal Tap Dancer", "Paradise By The Marlboro Light" and "Break Wind and Fire".2006: If I have to choose 1, I guess "Pussyfootin'".

RYE COALITION was a very important band for me, so please take a gander at a few songs embedded below and if you dig and grab the discography as I don't think I've seen one this extensive posted yet. Or I have a massive ego. Also check out this video that tripped me out when I first saw it (and every time thereafter). It's like a sweet mushroom trip with some really weird imagery and ideas - like flying unicorns and demons holding diamonds that fire lasers, so it's definitely worth checking out. It's for the song "Stop Talking While I'm Smoking" from 'On Top'.

They also did a video for "Young Yellers" off of 'Curses'. Meh. Big ole meh.

WARREN OF OHMS is actually some dude named Sammy. We were acquainted about a year ago through the love of amazing music. No big surprise here, but when I asked Sammy if he was in a band, he said yes and his band (aka him) make some good music. Considering he's really been pushing it only in the last year, most of his stuff is still pretty raw. I have heard his new material (posted on soundcloud here) and the jump to a thicker, more cohesive style is very apparent. He lists Hot Cross, Fall Of Efrafa, Modern Life Is War, Isis, Rosetta, The Mars Volta, At The Drive In, Jehu and Botch among his influences. I would describe the music as very instrumentally melody driven, particularly in the guitar and bass department which remind me a lot of a younger Between The Buried And Me. There's pretty much always some kind of solo going on which is also not unlike Hot Cross, so if you want some proof hit 30 seconds into "Eleanor Sends Her Regards" and you'll have a pretty good idea of what's to come for the next 3-4 tracks.

Most of the songs from his first record clock in at about 2 minutes or less with a few of the later tracks delving into the post 5-minute territory. The song "Frequency" is one such epic and is the stand-out, as it sheds the all-hard/all-screaming constraint and incorporates more eclectic styles, which give the song room to breathe and in the end the is the most rewarding listen. With the closer "I've Seen Things You People Wouldn't Believe" he again focuses on a grandeur idea, with more influences being made apparent. I also enjoy his variety in the vocals as he is able to hit high, shrill screams as well as bellowing growls. I love it when screaming vocalists don't rely on redundancy.

WARREN OF OHMS seems to constantly be demoing and I've heard a few of the newer tracks and the growth is already quite apparent. I'd keep an eye out on this guy, he certainly know his shit. I have to remind myself this is an individual usually just doing a few takes by himself, because it's pretty damn impressive.

He generally posts new stuff on his soundcloud first, which you can follow here. I would also strongly recommend checking out the individual songs on his bandcamp page from the only album posted here, 'Untitled/OCM' because each link provides details on each song, which is a very interesting read and cool idea.

Thursday, 24 April 2014

My hard drive exploded into a rage of anger and destruction...oh wait, that was me. I lost my hard drive and the computer doesn't work. I just bought a new one but have a lot of stuff to recover. I'll get the posts going before Sunday - as 2 are already almost complete. Any Zegema Beach orders/word of mouth props right now would be greatly beneficial. I've fallen on tough times...for a middle/lower class person. I really shouldn't complain.

I first had my jaw hit the floor when listening to THE RABBIT THEORY after trading some records to the German-based Time As A Color Records, as I sat down to listen to it in order to write a brief description for the webstore. I got about 20 seconds in and was like, "Woah, this is really catchy." By the time the song had finished and the dual vocalists had shredded my ears after a stunning 2-minute build-up. Seriously, this band was something special.

Unfortunately the band is no more, as a member recently passed. Before he did, the band was able to record 6 final songs, 5 of which appear on the upcoming split with Adolina (another amazing math-rock/punk band) that my label will be handling in North America. They will also have a song on an upcoming split, but the other band has not been set in stone yet. In a nutshell THE RABBIT THEORY played clean, layered mostly instrumental rock that was very driving and epic, with the occasional yelled or screamed vocals.

So let's talk about my favourite tracks, all of which I've posted so you can listen while reading the description, should you choose. Let's start with "The Denial Of Life And Joy vs. Everybody's Right To Beautiful Radiant Things" which is their closing track from their Adolina split. Right off the bat they slide into such a groovy, layered intro and then bring in vocals as well as the drums, which do the breakdown solo as the other instruments keep on strumming. At the 1-minute mark they hit their milieu and pull out those Fugazi/Desiderata-inspired ska/screamo/jazzy instrumentals that get me dancing every fucking time, as well as the 2:25-mark which sends me into an air guitar frenzy. This song has a lot of Neil On Impression, Raein, La Quiete and KC Milian parts, which should give you a good indication of their sound.

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"Das Automat" gets into at the 1-minute mark spouting The Advantage style riffs back and forth from the speakers before delving into a KC Milian-sounding clean groove. Totally instrumental. Totally amazing.

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"Barbara" jumps right out sounding like it's peeled out from some 70s TV crime/detective chase scene before swerving into breakdown territory Q And Not U-style. As per usual, after a minute the song takes on a louder, epic feel, layering the instruments perfectly. Desiderata comes to mind numerous times during the song, especially when the vocals kick in at the end with some awesome back and forth screaming. This is the song that I first heard after getting a bunch of stuff from Time As A Color, one of the best labels out there right now, bar-none.

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"CSI GSCI" is another standout track from the new split Adolina, another amazing band that I'll be reviewing soon. This is the first song on the record and showcases some of the bands spaciest and expansive material in between the beginning and ending sections that yield sparse vocals. I love how this band knew how to use their vocals sparingly so you actually yearn for the vocals. I yearn!

Zegema Beach Records posted the pre-order...right now, so if you want your download code go pick up a copy. I'm down to 28 left for all of North America.

Tuesday, 22 April 2014

As some readers may know, I've recently become obsessed with the Canadian 90s emo/screamo-styled band Congratulations (live show linked here). After meeting the band and discussing putting out their debut album, I became much more aware of their other band - you know, the one that's been around since 2008 and has put out 5 records. I'll be doing a review of the band in the next two months, but until then I thought I'd post the entire LIFE IN VACUUM set that they played on April 18, 2014 in Hamilton, Ontario Canada. I have completely immersed myself in the band's new album, '5' for the past few weeks and it all kind of culminated at the concert when I requested 2 songs and they played them both. View the 2 below and then click the link to watch the entire 6-song set as well as 2 of the other bands that played that night - THE KETTLE BLACK and SLENDER LORIS.

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I have another reason for posting this, LIFE IN VACUUM and CONGRATULATIONS will play along SKETCHBOOKS and RESPIRE to support Chicago's screamy hardcore band ITTO on May 25th, 2014 in Hamilton. It's the first show I'll be putting on and I am stoked beyond belief at the lineup. I've linked the facebook event here and on the Zegema Beach Records page with the linked full set that was discussed above.

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1 - You Did It To Yourself (watch by clicking ZBR link for the full show, here)

WATCH FOR WOLVES are a bit of an anomaly. When I hear the soft/hard dynamic of post-hardcore with screaming and some clean vocals, I generally find it a watered-down copy whose genetic makeup is straightforward and not creative in the least (think of the 3rd clone in Multiplicity, assuming you're old as shit). This band employs their screaming vocalist about 70% of the time with soft clean vocals from one guitar player (the guy with the huge beard) about 25% and the other guitar player bringing home the final 5% with the catchiest melodies of all, who passionately croons whilst bordering on yelling. One would expect a lot of cheese, rehashed songs and gimmicks, but these 5 tracks are surprisingly original and they're the band's first recordings, so I'm left to fantasize about what they will do in the future. I should also point out that the bassist (David) is exceptional and plays in Gulfer, a math-rock outfit from Montreal.

"Picking Sides" shows the band with no vocal melodies, it's just a straightforward screamy post-hardcore song ala State Faults and The Sky Above And Earth Below. It is apparent from the get-go that these guys know how to write music and properly structure a song - and again, this is their first album!!! It's screamy hardcore, but there's a very obvious alternative/rock vibe underlying everything, as it doesn't get bat-shit crazy like other chaotic screamo bands. I guess they're a melodic screamo band (if we want to play the genre game) - but again, they have little-to-no cheese, unlike some of their brethren.

"I Hope They're Right" is by far and away my favourite WATCH FOR WOLVES track. This sucka has everything - Gospel/State Faults guitar wailing, screamed vocals, some well-placed clean vocals from the other 2 singers, driving melodies, some faster and more aggressive moments and a hell of a bass-driven breakdown at the 3:44-mark ("My best days are behind me!") that screams These Arms Are Snakes. The vocal interplay that utilizes all 3 vocalists during the final 30 seconds is another high point of the album. If you listen to one song, make it this one.

"Jacob" is the band's epic closer. This is a great song, but it also brings to the forefront one of my issues with the band. They are able to mix some clean vocals in really nicely that accentuate the music and melodies. However, it sometimes sounds forced and can border on what I would call "too emo". That's not a backhanded slap to the band or the genre, the occasional vocals just sound a little too nice, fragile, weak and thin for the music being played. When watching them live I noticed this generally all comes from one of the two guitarists. He usually hits some great notes, but occasionally falters in the choice of what singing voice he uses.

SKETCHBOOKS are a band from the Canadian city in which I reside, Hamilton. 5 months ago they released a very promising album titled 'Scrutiny' that immediately caught my attention. The band's first album 'Sick On It' is much more simplistic, dark and dirty with more of a thrashy, lo-fi hardcore feel, while the new EP is a much more refined endeavor, touching on numerous styles and mixing them seamlessly. If I had to give a condensed description of the direction SKETCHBOOKS seem to be heading, it's a bastard mix of the Level Plane gods Wolves-inspired screamo, raw emo and straight up punk. There's a lot of awkward rhythms, caustic vocals and great basslines littered throughout the noise, as well as really catchy riffs and almost spacey/ambient riffing ala Dolcim, Frameworks and State Faults in "Know Better". Then you've got the first half of "Exceed Nothing", which is the audio equivalent of rust and sparks in a car repair shop. After that first minute, the band drops into their best Four Hundred Years meets Wolves romp that is probably the most driving thing they've recorded.

The Hamilton scene is growing, due to many passionate and involved people. So if you come through Hamilton (1 hour away from Toronto and closer to the US border), chances are I can set you up with a show and SKETCHBOOKS will definitely be asked to play.

Past Week

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OPENmind/SATURATEDbrain

Link to www.zegemabeachrecords.com/omsb-talentSubmit your band's material if you think it jives with this blog and I'll post it on the record label site for listeners to preview. Just send an email with "OPENmind/SATURATEDbrain" as the title and a link to your music and I will do the rest.

Contact!

If you are a band/record label and think your stuff would jive with this blog and want me to listen to it / post it, email me at zegemabeachrecords@gmail.com with "openmindsaturatedbrain" as the subject title . If any links you would like are dead, post on that page and I will upload the link again.